How long do you search for a lost ball ?

Picking up on the competitive gamesmanship post I though I would pose this.

I know the ruling/etiquette on this but if the course is busy and you/playing partners lose a ball which in all honesty you haven't a scooby (scooby doo/clue) where it is. How long do you realisticly look for it ?

In a friendly game on a busy day, no more than a few minutes- then a free drop in an agreed spot to keep things moving. In a serious game I will look as long as the owner of the ball wants too even if it means letting the group behind play through. Though I have never looked more than 5 minutes under those conditions.

I thought that but was recently watching the Ballentine event on sky & the commentator said "his 5 mins starts as soon as it looks like he's looking for the ball". Does this mean if there not sure where the area is they can discuss it first & then start looking?

It was a very nice course and one that you would like very much. Myself and Darren A. took on Martyn Black and Roger Marsland who arranged the game. No strokes involved and it finished all square on the last, but I will tell you that we were never ever one up, always behind. In fact three down after three, so a pretty good recovery. Martyn is the longest hitter I have ever seen, quite majestic in fact. He hits a four iron off the tee almost as far as Darrens drives and he is no slouch, as you well know. Roger was very steady, you know the kind, every drive on the fairway, safe second shots so we were up against it.

The beauty of the course is that the fairways are very generous but littered with bunkers on either side. I think I went in sand on every hole, but that gave me some well needed bunker practice.

The greens were the most difficult to putt on that I have seeen in a very long time. They had so many undulations any long putt was a nightmare trying to establish a line.

I did not play very well as my hip was giving me gip, but Darren kept the side together as he usually does and it turned into a very good game. The gorse is very thick and has to be avoided if a good score is sought.

To my knowledge, you have five minutes from the time you get to where you think your ball is.

Whilst looking you must wave through any group that is behind you and waiting to play their shots. This is the problem with golf today, people start looking for their ball and keep the group(s) behind them waiting! Course marshalls should be out there to keep things moving.

If after five minutes you cannot find the ball then you must declare it lost and continue according to the rules of golf.

One of the main things I find is that people don't watch where their ball goes in the first place. How many times do you see somebody hit a big slice from the tee and turn around moaning about it, when they should moan about it while looking where the ball is going?

Another thing I heard a tour pro say was that there should be no long stuff under trees, the trees are hazard enough without having to get out of the long stuff as well. Now thinging about this I have to agree. At my course we have some man made mounds between fairways. The club have trees on these mounds, but they also let the grass grow about a foot deep. Imagine getting into that and finding your ball!

Crookhill Park GC used to have some trees between the fairways but they at least kept the grass short around them. Then you could find your ball but the trees would penalise you because they would mean you chipping out sideways instead of going for the green. Helping to keep play moving along.

The most rigorous ball searcher I know is our own Mr Williams. At the N v S he spent ages looking for a ball on one hole that he eventually found down some animal hole I think. We had all given it up for lost. If there had been a marshall there with a watch you would have been timed out Paul mate!

Luckily for you the marshalls were giving Hawkins and Santorini a pasting -- or one of them was anyway!

When I lose a ball it tends to stay lost, don't do many iffy ones. They're either in the middle of a pond or over the boundary fence and down the road! Did, however, find mine in the middle of the shrubbery at Conwy on Sunday. with help from Wayne, and several other balls at the same time. True to form that was my first ball, my provisional was in the caravan park next door.....

Think I am like Robbie, depends who's behind and in front on the course, what's at stake and whether you have any idea where the ball went. For me 5 minutes when you arrive at the ball location is too long and should be reduced to 2 or 3 mins.

My ball was plugged with only 3 dimples showing, but what i couldn't understand was how it was plugged when the ground wasn't that damp? Guess thats golf for you.

I don't think i would have been timed out as its five minutes from when you arrive at said spot. Usually if i cant find my ball within 2 minutes I'll drop, but after having to walk back to the tee on the 4Th hole after my ball was a yard OOB, I was convinced my tee shot had cleared the water so was determined to find that ball, after all i was having a mere of a round and if that tee shot would of gone against me it would of put the final nail in the coffin for my round.

I tend to go with the flow, if when i arrive at the point that my ball was last seen entering and it's looks well overgrown or a full & thick gorse bush I don't bother more than 15 seconds.

What does get me are players that hit the ball then just as it's landing they turn around to get their tee (whilst the ball has now hit the deck and stopped) and when looking up say "did anyone see where it went" and then having walked to the area have got NO IDEA where they are looking or start looking 100yds further ahead of where it landed

YOUR BALL YOU WATCH IT

I don't mind helping out looking for it but I'm damned if I'm YOUR spotter

I don't wear a watch Paul so couldn't tell you how long it was to be honest, probably just my perception but seemed longer. Was just amazed at your dilligence, plus I must admit I didn't think your ball had cleared the water. But can see where you were coming from.

Even if you had a mare you played well enough to make me putt these horrible little six inchers. Or miss them rather!